On Monday, March 26th, Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham posted on X claiming that Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, who was Abraham’s co-director on the film No Other Land, which won Best Documentary at this year’s Academy Awards, had been beaten by settlers and later detained by authorities, during a conflict that took place on the West Bank. Later alleging “He has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding,” Abraham wrote in the post.
The conflict that led to Ballal’s capture occurred Monday night in Mallal’s hometown, Susiya, in the Masafer Yatta area. Afterward, Ballal, on top of two other Palestinians, was detained and held in a police station located in the West Bank. Detailed statements about the conflict were issued by both sides with differing allegations.
Eventually, Ballal was released, which was revealed in an update posted on X by Yuval Abraham on Tuesday morning. Alleging “After being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base, Hamdan Ballal is now free and is about to go home to his family,’ wrote Abraham in the update.
Before Ballal’s release, several documentary filmmakers launched a petition demanding his immediate release, which was eventually signed by thousands of people. The International Documentary Association also made a statement demanding Ballal’s release: “We demand Ballal’s immediate release and that his family and community be informed about his condition, location, and the justification for his detention.”
No Other Land, directed by both Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, two of which being Yuval Abraham and Hamdan Ballal, was a surprise success at this year’s Academy Awards when it won Best Documentary Feature. The documentary captures the forced displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, on top of following the friendship between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist between 2019 and 2023. But despite its surprise Oscar win, the film still hasn’t been picked up for U.S. distribution.
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